Rolled pork belly

There is nothing like a delicious rolled pork belly to warm you up on a cold day.

Before you start cooking, a handy tip is to ask your butcher to score your pork belly so when you pop it in the oven the skin goes nice and crispy. This mouth-watering roast with prune and quinoa stuffing is a real crowd pleaser and a great way to feed the whole family. For a step-by-step guide on how to create your own rolled pork belly, watch this short video and check out the full recipe.

Preheat the oven to 250C. To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until golden. Add the vinegar and simmer for 1–2 minutes until evaporated. Stir in the quinoa and sage and season to taste. Set aside to cool.

Pour the maple syrup into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the prunes, return to a simmer, then set aside.

Place the pork on a work surface, skin-side down, with one long side facing you. Season with salt and pepper and spread with an even layer of stuffing. Arrange the poached prunes in a line in the centre and roll up the pork to enclose. Tie with kitchen twine at 5cm intervals. Rub the pork generously with salt.

Transfer to a roasting tin and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C and roast for 1 hour. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve immediately.

Make sure you have a good butcher who will select your pork belly and score it for you. Rolling and tying the pork belly on your own can be tricky and you may need some assistance. Cut your kitchen twine and have it at the ready before you start this process.